This Country Fair has been established under a few different names for well over thirty years.
It was originally established as the Muncaster Country Fair and Sheep Dog Trails. The Sheep Dog trails had been running for a number of years but were struggling with funding. They joined forces with the Black Combe Beagles committee to fund the event. It had taken place in fields next to Muncaster Castle car park by permission of the Duff-Pennington family for over thirty years. Also for many years it was sponsored by Famous Grouse whisky. The country fair went from strength to strength and became one of the main attractions in the area with the sheep dog trials, hound and terrier shows, horticultural show and children’s sports etc.
In 2004 was the last event that involved the Black Combe Beagles. In 2005 the Black Combe Beagles established a Field Day on the old airfield at Haverigg with the kind permission of the Craghill family. This event included all the best parts of the Muncaster event without the sheep dog trials. It was held for three successful years at Haverigg but when Mr John Grice offered the committee land at Bootle in 2008 the Black Combe Country Fair was born.
This will be our fifth year at Bootle and the event has been added to each year. Combining the traditional country fair events with other attractions and entertainment with input from Bootle villagers. The land currently being used for the country fair had been previously used for the Bootle Agricultural Show over sixty years ago. This year in the wake of the decision to end the Lowther Show the committee have offered its venue free of charge to all stallholders and traders. It is hoped that this will attract a wider audience in these difficult times.
The venue at Bootle offers good access, free draining fields, a wonderful view of Black Combe and a warm West Cumbria welcome. We hope that the Black Combe Country Fair will become a well established event at Bootle.
The Black Combe Country Fair is mainly held to raise funds for the Black Combe Beagles whom have continued to exist following the ban on hunting due to the Hunting Act 2004. The committee also has help and assistance from Broughton Young Farmers for which they are most grateful.
The committee are always looking for ways to improve the Black Combe Country Fair and any ideas or suggestions from the general public would be most welcome. Also arranging the event takes a great deal of time and effort and anyone wishing to help out in this years or future country fairs, please inform a committee member.
Stephen Lowthian
Black Combe Country Fair Treasurer.